guarantees / contract agencies / freelance agencies
Castings are an important segment of the business, since it is here where jobs are either won or lost. This section will discuss how castings are generally conducted in Japan without, however, getting too specific. Tips and strategies that leave lasting impressions with Japanese clients is information reserved for our Arts C models only! Must keep a few secrets you know... 
For nearly all castings, models will be accompanied by a manager. The manager's job is to lead the group of models to the casting, present each one individually to the client and hopefully land a booking. "The client" is often comprised of a group of four to six people, but can grow to sums of twenty or more. It can be a little intimidating, but it is usually such an incredibly polite atmosphere, with lots of bowing and smiling going on, that it's no big deal after awhile. Japanese people aren't normally too comfortable with English (despite the fact they study the language throughout elementary and high school) so the whole session is carried out in Japanese. The model sits down next his or her manager at the opposite side of a table and usually faces "the leader" of the group. The manager then proceeds to yap away to the client discussing the model's particulars, while the model normally just sits and waits patiently. 
If the model is at all normal he or she would want to know what actually gets said during these interviews. Well, generally clients will expect answers to the following questions:
Frustrating? Yes, of course it is, but this how things proceed unless of course the model happens to speak a little Japanese. In which case, a whole new game is played. 
Castings for tv and film are conducted slightly different because a little role-play is normally involved. There is still a manager present, but in addition models will be asked to state their name, nationality and age to the video camera, after which an acting task will be assigned. (English is the expected language used by the way.) Roles clients look for in foreign models vary enormously, but the emotions are all pretty much the same. Happy, sad, surprised, dissapointed and flat-out angry. Master these and reap the rewards of a nice pay cheque, for nothing pays better than a commercial job. Which is definitely worth keeping in mind... Finally, never underestimate the importance of your book! For tips on developing the right portfolio for Japan go to: |